Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 10

(105) What does the progression of 'dot' to 'boy' tell us about the role of exploring and meeting the people in the camp? What does this represent about how other Germans view the Jews? It shows that the closer one gets to a Jewish person the more they realize that they are actually people. Nazi's only see the Jews mentally from a far and do not talk to them and get to know them this is why they see them as dots or blobs but if they got to know them and became closer to them they would soon realize that they are just like everyone else. 
(109) What effect does the boys both having the same birthday have? That they are extremely similar and have a lot in common. They are both on the other side of the war yet they are still best friends and they almost have a brotherly characterization towards them. The Nazi's and Jews are fighting a tragic war but two boys from both sides are able to befriend each other and throughout this chapter they point out the similarities within each other. The Nazi's don't think the Jews are human yet here is a Nazi child becoming best friends with a Jew.
(113-4) What do Bruno and Shmuel 'argue' about? What does Bruno decide to stop the argument? Bruno and Shmuel briefly argue about whether Shmuel's side of Poland is better or or Bruno's Berlin is better. They both rudely say that there town is much better for it's people or it's drinks or it's cafe's. After Shmuel says that Poland is obviously a lot better Bruno decides not to linger on the argument and carry on the criticism as he does not want to upset his new best friend. For if he did then the atmosphere for the two would be a lot different and they might not be friends anymore. 
(115) What does Bruno's last question reveal to Shmuel? What do you think Shmuel thinks of Bruno because of asking this question? I think that when Bruno asked this question it was quite obvious to Shmuel that Bruno knew nothing of the atrocities and what is happening to the Jews. This might show Shmuel that not all the Germans are the same and that some people are not aware of what is happening. Also he must think that Bruno does not know much of the war either as he does not know what a Jew is, it is just another word to him. Shmuel might now think that Bruno is quite shut off from the facts of the real world and there must be others just like Bruno that do not know of the Concentration Camps.

Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 9

(pg95-96) How is Lt Kotler portrayed? Why is he portrayed this way? (remember that 'how' is asking about literary techniques) Bruno says, "Lieutentat Kotler still strode around in his black boots as if there was no one in the whole world of any more importance than him". This portrays to me a stereotypical Nazi, they were supposedly only fighting for the greater good of their country but I believe that they were political mercenaries, the Nazi's followed a great leader because he was an amazing talker. He made them believe that the Jews were not people, that they caused the financial crisis, that they were the cause of all their bad luck. He must have been extremely good at talking if he was able to do this to a single  nation. The point I am trying to put across is that they did not care for anyone but themselves. They were not fighting and killing for 'the good of the country' they were fighting for the good of themselves.
What is Herr Liszt going to 'change' for Bruno? (98) He is going to be taking Bruno's childhood away tell him that he can not read story books and have his head up in the clouds. He will teach him of his family's heritage and of the fatherland. Comically Bruno starts to think about what his fatherland actually was, 'He wasn't entirely sure that his father had any land'. This shows Bruno's lack of knowledge of the war and the innocence of being a child. Although I do believe history and geography is important I do believe that reading story books and living as a child is also important as well. When Herr says that he will 'change' Bruno I also believe that he will be trying to change him from a 'little man' or little boy that Bruno hates being called into a 'young man'.
(100) What connection does Bruno make between the people in the camp and the people that come and visit his house all the time? Bruno makes the connection about the uniforms that both the Jews and the Nazi's wear. The Jews wear the striped pajamas's and the Nazi's wear their smart uniforms. He then starts to ask himself are the actually entirely different? He also thinks to himself, 'and who who decided wore the striped pajama's and which people wore the uniforms?' This is actually a very good question as it now makes me think that it was the same person, 'Adolf Hitler'. After reading this paragraph this shows a very strong connection between the two and it makes you wonder if the two are very different at all?
What are some of the things that Bruno begins to take notice of regarding the relationship between the soldiers and the people in 'pyjamas'? As mentioned above the connections are very clear, the uniforms that all of them wear are although very different the uniform aspect is actually one in the same. Also he looks at a very good point about who actually decides which uniform the two people actually dress in. Which is actually the same person 'Adolf Hitler'.

Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 7

How is the mother's defence of Herr Roller entirely ironic? Mother says in his defence, "You shouldn't laugh at poor Herr Roller, you have no idea what he's been through in his life." This is extremely ironic as in the way she is sticking up for Herr it is actually extremely similar case to that of the Jews. It is obvious that the Jews had a life before they were put in the striped pajamas and she is sticking up for Herr. This just shows that the Jews and Germans and not too different and that the wife of a Nazi General is sticking up for someone who is just like a Jew.

What role does Kotler represent historically in the novel? (think beyond being a soldier) I think that it means in a deeper sense that it describe Kotler as being tall, blonde, blue eyed and strong. This was supposedly the 'Aryan' race which was essentially the Nazi's way of saying perfect. This shows the stereotypical way that the Nazi Germans were depicted as in these days by the other countries and what Hitler was striving to achieve. Kotler was an 'Aryan'.

What character is Kotler juxtaposed with in this chapter? What effect does it have on understanding each of these characters? He is the stereotypical Nazi, he has demeanor and is always looking down on people thinknig that he is very superior which was a typical Nazi trait. He is an example and model of the Nazi soldiers he loved what he did and was a very cruel guy. 

How would you compare the interaction Bruno has with Pavel to all the other interactions Bruno has had with adults? Pavel is obviosuly very different to the other adults that Bruno talks to. Pavel is one of the only adult if not the only that actually listens to him and lets him talk. Bruno asks questions and Pavel answers immediately. Pavel is also one of the only adults that Bruno can confidently talk to and speak his mind, he would not have been so blunt as to say, "How do you know? Your not a doctor?" to anyone but Pavel and this shows that Bruno trusts him. Pavel also is the only adult that takes notice of Bruno's love of exploring. He seems quite interested and likes to talk with Bruno as he cannot talk the same way with anyone else. When talking about Bruno's exploring Pavel asks, "Have you discovered anything?", this shows Pavel's interest in Bruno's childhood.

Why is juxtaposition a key technique employed in Holocaust texts? How has it been used in The Boy in the Striped PJ's? You have the really strong powerful Nazi's and on the other side you have the weak and defenseless Jews. Which shows that Juxtaposition is a key motif in the Boy in the striped Pajamas's text when talking about the lving conditions and other historical things throughout the Holocaust. Bruno uses Juxtaposition when describing the two housing situations which shows the living conditions of the Nazi's are extremely different to those of the Jewish people. The Jews are living in what Bruno and Gretel describe as being 'Huts' on a 'sand like substance', whereas the Nazi's live in Grand houses and live with the finest foods and delicacies. 

Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 5

1. What does it say that we only actually meet the father in the book in Chapter 5 even though he is the one causing much of the action in the book? You get the feeling that because he was only first introduced in chapter you get the feeling that he is actually extremely important and is always away for the military and is not disturbed very often. Also he must not come out of the office much as he has so much to do.  It also means that becuase of the work the father does whether he wants to do it or not he is very detached from his family and therefore is always away and is even though a major character is also at the same time a minor character
2. the mother says: ‘We should have never let the Fury come to dinner. Some people and their determination to get ahead.’ What theme does this introduce regarding the role of ambition and causing harm? The theme that we can pick out from this quote is that some sort of army officers had come over to the house to have dinner with the family in order to get popularity with the father. Instead of going to dinner to get closer to the family they had gone just to try to get a promotion or to get favored over all the others.
3. How does Bruno's father speak to him? Give an example to support your answer. "Well, i don't think you can be very good at your job if it means we all have to move away from a very nice home and our friends and come to a horrible place like this." "You don't understand the significance of such a position" father said. This shows the importance of his job and that he is not a jokey type of man. He is fairly strict, and it is obvious that he talks to his son like an adult rather than a nine year old boy.
4. How would you compare the way Bruno speaks about the world to his father's? Do they both comment about what is going on around them the same? The father does not openly talk about the world whereas Bruno does. He is kind of a politician and knows what he is talking about tactfully, whereas Bruno talks about it the way it is and not tactfully. He speaks around the truth and tries very hard to convince himself of what he is doing, he makes himself believe that he is doing the right thing. He thinks, "It's for the good of the country" but we think that is a terrible inhumane thing and this is why he must convince himself. He is determined to get the top and he is very ambitious and this has clouded his mind, he doesn't care what he does to get to the top.
5. How does the father rationalise every concern that Bruno has? He says that it is for 'the good of the country.' But I think that he has to really convince himself as I mentioned above. His ambition clouds his humanity. He tells Bruno that everything is for the greater good and he is almost talking a bit like a 'zombie'. I think that all of Germany is kind of tuned into a zombie to believe what the Fuhrer is doing. No human can do these atrocities, except for people that have been brainwashed into doing it. It is not actually 'them' doing it they are clouded and like zombies. So now he is trying to convince his son and to stop asking questions.
6. What is ironic about what the father says when he comes around the desk and talks to Bruno about his childhood? He does not listen to his father just like Bruno does not listen to him which is ironic. But he says that after a while, 'I would just put my best foot forward and get on with it.' This is so that Bruno does not completely rebel against him and that he listened to his father. The other ironic thing is that it says he didn't want to go into the streets and play but this is the exact opposite for Bruno as all he wants to do is play in the streets this shows that the two children were actually different.
7. Do you think that the father really cares about Bruno? Why/why not? I think that he does. Although he is very strict this is only the nature of a Nazi officer and he is his son. He is trying to convince his son of 'giving the house a chance'. After the discussion of his childhood his father eventually says that he was being very courteous of Bruno's feelings and that the discussion is over. When Bruno does something extremely naughty and interrupts his father yelling at him his father just tells him to go to his room and play. This is not the worst punishment at all and I think that he is trying to keep Bruno happy as the move was very hard on him.
8. Do you think that Bruno understands what he is saying when he says 'Heil Hitler!'? No I do not think he understands at all. He says that they are 'the two words he must reply to someone who has previously said it'. He does not exactly know what the words are and seeing as he calls the Fuhrer 'fury' which is not correct at all he wouldn't know who Hitler was. He also says at the end of the chapter after saying "Heil Hitler!". "He presumed was another way of saying. Well, goodbye for now, have a pleasant afternoon."
9. What is Bruno's reason for not saying anything to the Jews on the crowded train? How is this a representation of the greater German population? Microcosm is used at it is a small insignificant thing in the book but it kind of represents the whole story. He says, "Whatever made his mother angry, would make Gretel furious." This is what holds his tongue.

Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 6

• On pg 60 Bruno reveals a radical shift in his perspective and understanding of Maria. What is this radical shift? What does this show is developing in Bruno? He has a realization that the maid has feelings, a past and a life outside of the maid job. This shows that she is an actual person and this kind of shows that everyone in the camp has a life as well that they were taken away from. He is suddenly thinking of her other than a maid. He almost feels empathy for her as he see's that she must miss her friends, family and her old life, he is putting himself in her shoes which is ironic as no other Nazi is doing this and feeling empathy because they hate them so much. He is developing maturity as he thought Maria is fairly good looking and is becoming a young man.

• Compare how Bruno and Gretel treat Maria. Bruno feels empathy towards Maria and is starting to treat her a lot better and more like an actual person. Whereas Gretel is really ordering Maria around and actually being extremely rude to her. She has not thought at all about Maria's feelings. Bruno actually sticks up for Maria which Maria seems to be a bit scared about. This is very different they both have very different perspectives and feelings towards Maria.
• (pg 65) What is Maria's advice to Bruno about 'keeping safe'? Why do you think that she gives this advice? Do you think that it is good or bad advice? Her advice is for him to keep quiet and because it is a faschist coutnry he must keep quiet about himself. She is kind of telling him to be slefish and only think of himself and not think  about the people who are getting harmed. She is also trying to save the last drop of innocence he still has left. Because he has to grow up a child and not worry about the war otherwise he will grow up a soldier and not grow up properly.
• (65-6) What is Bruno's reaction to his new thoughts/feelings? Why do you think that he reacts this way? It says, 'all of a sudden Bruno had a sudden urge to cry.' This shows that Bruno is very freaked out with his new feeling for Maria. He might not want the new emotions and he might just feel extremely sorry for her. He sticks up for Maria after Gretel orders her around and is fairly nasty and rude to her, but Bruno see's life through Maria'a eyes and sticks up for her. After he catches Maria with tears in his eyes he seems to get angry as he does not like emotions being shunned. He then starts to be fairly rude to Maria saying, "I'm going outside, not like it's any of your business." He did obviously not like it when Maria told him to not stick up for her and get worked up in the war.

Holocaust Poetry 2 do for homework

1. Homeland
   Lois E. Olena

   It was Christmas eve
   and there was no room in the inn,
   the Oswiecim inn,
   so the Arrow Cross
   took the children,
   barefooted
   and in their nighties,
   out to the Danube
   and filled their little bellies
   not with bread
   but bullets
   flipping them
   like tiddlywinks
   into the congealing, icy river below.
   
   It was the Red Danube
   that night,
   choking on the blood
   of orphan Jews
   whose little Blue faces
   floated downstream
   touring even all of Europe
   until they washed up
   on the shores of Eretz Yisrael (Jewish homeland)
   and came back to life,
   their little blue and white
   bodies
   raised high,
   flapping in the wind.
   How is imagery used in this poem?
   This poem makes the story feel very cold, dark and merciless. It shows how the Nazi's treated the orphan Jews not with hospitality but with hostility. It is a very bad time for these people and it shows that you would not want to live in this time as a Jewish person. You could be doing something one minute and the next you are being shot at by Nazi German's. It shows the innocence of the children who did not see it coming
   Discuss the effect of the simile in this poem.
    
   How is alliteration used in the poem? What is the effect?
    
   How does the author juxtapose the innocence of the children to the cruelty they experienced?
    
   What is meant by 'touring all of Europe'?
   

Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 4

(pg 31) How does the author continue to use juxtaposition in regards to the two housing situations? (the Jews and Bruno's family) "But from this side of the house the view was very different" this shows that the two sides of the house are extremely different. On Gretel side it is all flowers and forest and nice swings and just a nice view in general. But on Bruno's side it is very different to the side of his sisters as his is of the concentration  camp and this would be a terrible view. This is using Juxtaposition greatly as it is comparing the two sides of the house. The again it says, "About twenty feet further along from the garden and the flowers and the bench with the plaque on it, everything changed". This uses Juxtaposition as it compares the garden and the concentration camp and the difference between the two.

What is it about the children that makes it difficult to understand exactly what they see through the window and just how bad it is? Bruno is not very phased at all about the housing situation as he is only a child and does not understand it. He finds it odd but does not question as he thinks it is something normal. Gretel seems a lot more shocked when she first sees it and is very hesitant too look in the first place as she thinks it might be something terrible. It hard to understand exactly what they see through the window because they have two very different views on what it is and why it's there. Gretel is shocked and fairly scared and Bruno seems fine about it and wants to meet the children and play with them.

Summarise how Gretel describes what she sees. One of the first things she says is, "And where are the girls?" this shows that she knows it is not right. She knows something is very odd about it and does not understand at all what it is and what kind of people are behind the fence. She see's that they are not all boys, there were father, and grandfathers and all of them were men. She finds it very hard to avert her eyes once she has started looking at them and is in awe and confusion about the facility. it says in the book, 'she opened her mouth to say something, but when she did she realized that she couldn't find any words to express her surprise'. She also thinks that it is the country side but Bruno quickly tells her that she is wrong and she accepts this still puzzled about what it could possibly be.

What does Gretel attempt to do when she sees the Concentration Camp? How does she attempt to understand what she sees? She is trying to summarize what exactly she is seeing because she has no idea and she is extremely shocked. She tries to talk but cannot because of her surprise. 'She was twelve years old and was considered to be one of the brightest girls in her class, so she squeezed her lips together and narrowed her eyes and forced her eyes to understand what she was looking at.' She wants to say something factual back and tell Bruno what it is as she thinks she is extremely bright as explained by Bruno but she does not know herself. This obviously really frustrates Gretel as she wants to tell Bruno.

Is her attempt successful? Does she convince Bruno that she understands? What does she eventually give in to? What does she say/or not say? (pg 32) She does not talk and tell him what she thinks it is. In fact she actually admits she doesn't understand what it is when she says, "I don't understand, who would build such a nasty looking place?" This gives into Bruno and tell him that she does not understand either. She looks around the camp from the window and notices various things such as the shape and look of the huts, the sandy ground and the large ugly buildings. She does not say this to Bruno but she is trying to make sense of the place by looking at the various things inside the fence. At the end she tries to put together a conclusion and say that it is 'the country side', but Bruno quickly dismisses this and tells her this is ridiculous. She is trying to convince herself whilst trying to convince Bruno at the same time. She really does not understand this place at all.

What can't the children do when they see the Concentration Camp that the adults seem to be able to do? Which group can understand what they see? Why do you think that this is the case? She can't express and talk about what it is because of her child innocence and she really doesn't understand what it is. The parents think that it is winning them the war and giving them back their jobs thinking that they are finally working and they are fairly out of the depression. They just end up boarding over Bruno's window so that he cannot see out of his window. adults can rationalize the evil as it is in the long run helping them return to their former glory.

How does the author use understatement through the children's description of the Concentration Camp? They describe what they see and they do not say that it is 'terrible' they are saying it just how they see it. They do not know the horrors behind that fence. They are just saying that it is pretty bad but in actual fact it is the most horrible place in the world. This is using understatement very strongly as they are not saying what the concentration camp is actually like they are just saying what it looks like.

Holocaust Imagery- Hitler at a Nazi Rally

1. How are vectors used in this image? What effect does it have? The Vectors draw your eyes to Hitler in the middle. He is the disruption of the almost perfect parallel lines. The vector lines draw your eyes all the way to the back of the mass rally. This shows you the scale of the crowd surrounding the important man of the day. The Nazi flags on either side of the image us vector lining to draw your eyes to the very important Hitler. The lines at the back of the image shows you the division between the people and the soldiers. All of the attention from all of these people points to Hitler showing that he is the most powerful man in the image and is extremely important. 
2. Describe the composition of the image and what is tells us about the Nazis and Hitler.  Hitler is in the middle ground and in the center and because of this he is the center of attention is on him. The symmetry used in this image is very strong. The symmetry isn't perfect but it does draw your eye to Hitler yet again. 
3. How is symmetry used? What effect does it have? The symmetry leads to the idea of order and hierarchy. No one else is trying to get ahead of Hitler as all of the people are very much in order. He is their leader and they accept this and they are not trying to overthrow him, this is hierarchy. The symmetry also gives you a feeling of Hitler being a god like figure. The mass of people have come to see him and seeing as he is the focal point and is climbing stairs shows power.
4. What effect does this picture being in black and white have? It feels very bleak as if it is very dull and has an absence of emotion. Their is no emotion and feeling in this photograph as it is very dull. Hitler and his official party are a lot darker than the crowd behind him. This is quite a large contrast between the dark soldiers and the light people, this also shows power. It gives a lot more order because the soldiers are a darker color as well as Hitler and the people are lighter. It also shows a bit of age, the color distances the audience from the people and also makes the people a little 'robot like' and not really like humans at all.
5. Discuss the use of line in this image. What effect does it have? The frame are the Nazi flags and the higher up soldiers. By the use of lines throughout the image it shows the huge order of these Nazi Germans. It is also very intimidating as the crowd is so huge and it looks like they are very willing to do Hitler's bidding. The carpet in the center of the image also leads to Hitler and his soldiers as it leads up all the way to Hitlers exact place of stand. This image makes me feel like they are in fact 'the perfect race' as the lines and symmetry are so exact. The image looks extremely perfect and how organised and important and powerful they are. 

Responding to Poem

Holocaust
by Barbara Sonek

We played, we laughed
we were loved.
We were ripped from the arms of our
parents and thrown into the fire.
We were nothing more than children.
We had a future. We were going to be lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers. We had dreams, then we had no hope. We were taken away in the dead of night like cattle in cars, no air to breathe smothering, crying, starving, dying. Separated from the world to be no more. From the ashes, hear our plea. This atrocity to mankind can not happen again. Remember us, 
for we were the children whose dreams and lives were stolen away.




1. Construct a response to this poem using the same style and structure.


2. Be mindful of your perspective. Your poem should be from your perspective.


3. Utilise the same techniques employed by the authour.




We know, we feel, we love.
You were torn, thrown and worked.
You were brave, honorable, courageous. 
You ripped and thrown like animals, cattle in cars.
It was not in vain
We remember
We always will
You had dreams like us
You loved like us
You were, just like us
You were separated
No chance 
No hope 
No life
You should not have had hope but you did
You shouldn't have loved but you did
This atrocity cannot happen again.
We will remember you
We know, we feel, we love

Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 3

1. Describe how Bruno and Gretel's relationship is introduced in the chapter. We are told that Gretel is three years older than Bruno and he explains that 'she made it clear to him from as far back as he could remember. Seeing as it says that Bruno is nine this makes Gretel 12. It says that 'it would have made a lot more sense to leave Gretel behind in Berlin to look after the house because she was nothing but trouble.' Bruno also says that he doesn't like to admit it but he is secretly scared of his older sister. They obviously do not get along and you can tell this from only reading the first paragraph.
2. List quotes that show how the new house is described. Gretel agrees with Bruno and says, "I know what you mean, it's not very nice is it?" Bruno then says, "It's horrible." Bruno says, "I don't like it here." For the apparent 'hundredth time'. These two children obviously really do not like their new house called 'Out-with', but Gretel thinks that they will only be there for a couple if weeks (foreseeable future) and then they will be heading back home.
3. It was very hollow and he decided that he better not go jumping around this house too often or it might collapse around their ears. What is the significance of this quote? Although the quote is not entirely factual and the chances of the floor falling beneath him is very unlikely it does symbolize that he is again trying to put across that the house is a mess. He thinks that if he jumps around the house will be so flimsy as to collapse underneath him. He is just trying to put across how much he hates it and might be make a small joke on his behalf. His mother also said that they had to 'make the best of a bad situation', this might be what Bruno is trying to do is this scene. 
4. What is Bruno's reaction to the new house? He is upset that he has left his old house for this new, cold and boring house. He does not want to live here and obviously straight away regrets coming. He notices that there are no nooks and crannies for him to explore and the house is very dull. It also sounds like Bruno is finding it very hard to find games to play and things to do and being a child this is essential for Bruno. Bruno really does not like this house.
5. How does it compare to their old house? It is a lot colder, there are no people walking around outside laughing or walking very quickly. There are no stalls with fresh vegetables and nice smells. There are no neighboring houses. It is very dull and boring as there are no areas to explore in the house. There are no other children around to play with.
6. How does Gretel relate to her father? Obviously she talks to her father more than Bruno does as she has been asking how long they will be there and asking why they had to go and all these different questions about the house. She also said that he called the house 'Out-with' and this shows again that she talks to her father a lot more than Bruno does.
7. Does Bruno understand where they are? What makes you believe this? No I do not believe Bruno understands where they are at all. He obviously has no idea what this strange facility is that their house is neighbors too either. I believe that much of the German public would not really believe what the facility is and what horrors happens behind that fence. Seeing as he does not know what the neighboring area is next to his house I do not believe that they know where they are as it is a fairly significant facility and if you were informed as to what it is then you would certainly believe where you are on the German map.
8. Does Gretel understand where they are? Explain. I do not think that Gretel understands where they are as she is not at an age where she would understand what the place is that she is seeing. But I think that she might understand that it might be the Jewish people as the Nazi German's back in those days were told to hate the Jews and she might be able to get a vague idea of who are behind the fence. But I don't think she knows where they are at all because she is only a child and it is in the middle of nowhere and she is obviously not extremely aware of the war and the situation with the Jewish people.
9. How is Bruno's description of 'Out-with' represent a motif? What is darkly ironic about this? He says, "What's an 'Out-With'?" This shows that Bruno is very unaware of the house, it's name and it's history. This is darkly ironic as it is obvious that this was home to a Jewish family that were thrown out of their home and either killed or put in the neighboring Concentration Camp.  
10. Read pgs 27-29. How are Bruno's and Gretel's reaction to 'the children' Bruno sees through the window different? What does this tell us about these two characters and their perception/understanding of where they are? When I read these two pages it shows that Bruno is not aware of the situation, he is not phased in any means by the children behind the fence. He thinks that it is an every day normal thing. This is very different to Gretel reaction to the sight of the children. She is very shocked and it says that she is very hesitant and struggles to walk forward. This shows that she dies not want to see what Bruno is trying to show her because she is thinking of what she might see.

Holocaust Poetry

SORRY I APOLOGIZE FOR THE WHITE BACKGROUND!!!!! don't know how to get rid






Holocaust
by Barbara Sonek

We played, we laughed
we were loved.
We were ripped from the arms of our
parents and thrown into the fire.
We were nothing more than children.
We had a future. We were going to be lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers. We had dreams, then we had no hope. We were taken away in the dead of night like cattle in cars, no air to breathe smothering, crying, starving, dying. Separated from the world to be no more. From the ashes, hear our plea. This atrocity to mankind can not happen again. Remember us, for we were the children whose dreams and lives were stolen away.

1. What is your initial reaction to this poem? Extreme sadness and empathy for the children who died during this horrific war. It makes me feel extremely sad as it is almost saying that the innocence of these children was cruelly taken away from them.
2. How does the author use 'we' in this poem? She is trying to put across that it was not just a handful or one but there were thousands of children that died for no right cause. She is trying to put across that they were practically all family as they had to look after each other to get through this. She makes it personal and says that she was not alone, there were other children.
3. What are the verbs used in the first sentence? Played, laughed and loved. This is what children do. It is showing that they were doing nothing wrong they were simply being normal children. They did not deserve and did not know of what was to come. c
4. What are the verbs used in the second sentence? How do they contrast with those used in the first sentence? Ripped and thrown. This is very different to the verbs used in the first sentence as this to me does not portray a child's life. Ripped and thrown is not something children come across very often. It also shows the brutality of the Nazi forces and the lack of mercy.
5. What effect does the listing of 'lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers'? What is it meant to signify? It is meant to signify that these children had a lot of life left in them. They could have done brilliant things with their lives and they could have had magnificent and normal lives but instead their lives were destroyed over nothing. It was all ripped away from them in a blink of an eye, that's it, their lives ruined. Also all of these jobs have a high level of dignity and they are everyday jobs. They are not saying they want to be rich or famous. They are just saying that they want a job and they want to be a mother. They just want to live and grow old.
6. What simile is used in the poem and what effect does it have? 'Like cattle in cars,' this also has a huge effect as it shows that they were not treated like human beings they were treated 'like cattle'. This means that they were herded and prodded and tossed around not as humans but as cattle, that's all the Nazi's saw them as.
7. How has the poet represented herself in the last sentence? She has represented herself as being one of these children which I do not know is actual fact or just to add depth to the story but it is still a very strong ending sentence to her poem.
8. If you could communicate to this person, a victim of the Holocaust, what would you want to say? What do you feel that you must do in your life as a response to this poem? I would tell them to be strong and that it was not in vain. There are men constantly fighting for them and that all of the world is wanting them to be safe, happy and free. It will not be long and the majority of the world is very much fighting for them.

The Boy in the Striped PJ's - Chapter 2

• Using quotes, how is the new house described?

'The new house what only three floors: a top floor where all three bedrooms were and only one bathroom, a ground floor with a kitchen, a dining room and a new office for father (which, he presumed, had the same restrictions as the old one.), and a basement where the servants slept. Bruno says: "and now he was stuck up here in this cold, nasty house with three whispering maids and a waiter who was both unhappy and angry, where no one looked as if they could ever be cheerful again."

• How does it compare to the house in Berlin? How is this an example of juxtaposition?

Berlin- stood on a quiet street, neighboring other big houses, the house was enormous, many nooks and crannies to explore, many other streets with markets and laughing people
New house- stood all on its own in an empty, desolate place, no other houses, had only three floors, and no nooks and crannies to explore, just four doors to each of the three bedrooms and one bathroom, no other streets, no one strolling along or rushing around, and no shops, empty and cold.

• How is Bruno's reaction and discussion of the new house taken by the other characters? What is ironic about the way people treat Bruno's comments regarding the new house?

Bruno starts a conversation with his mother about moving back and how much he doesn't like it. At first his mother is fairly amused and calm about it all, but when she decided enough is enough and tells Bruno to help Maria unpack his bags, Bruno keeps complaining and eventually his mother snaps ending the conversation. I find this ironic as it is fairly obvious that his mother is very much wanting to go back but she knows that they cannot and therefore must tell off Bruno for something that she is believing in as well.When Bruno talks to Maria he does not get an awful lot of words out from Maria as she is either shy, or scared. When he asks Maria what she thinks of it all she says, "That's not for me to say, Master Bruno." She then starts to explain that it is because of her fathers job and Bruno quickly interrupts her rudely and starts that he's, "tired of hearing about fathers job" this gives me the feeling that Maria does not want to be here either but she must as she is the maid.

• Do you feel empathetic towards Bruno's new home? Why/why not?

I do feel empathy towards Bruno as he is just a child  and he is being moved away from his exciting, nice house, his three best friends for life, and all the exciting unexplored nooks and crannies. This house is described as being very cold, boring, miles away from Berlin and nothing to explore. I think that this has taken some of Bruno's childhood away as there is not much left for him to do and seeing as there are not any people around apart from the maids, butler and cook it does not look like he is going to be making any friends and making this bad situation any easier for himself.

Boy in Striped PJ's - Chapter 1

Bruno's Voice, introduction of characters, and victims

• Describe Bruno's voice. Give examples to support.

Bruno's voice is obviously full of confusion when he talks to his mum. He is asking many questions and is very puzzled at why they do have to move out of Berlin, Bruno says, "Am i being sent away?". "No not just you, we all are. You father and I, Gretel and you. All four of us." After he is told that they are moving with no exceptions and has to say goodbye to his 'Best three friends for life', he is not happy with that at all although he is quickly told otherwise by his mother as he is to be polite and no yelling in the house. "Say goodbye to Karl and Daniel and Martin?" he continued, his voice coming dangerously close to shouting, which was not allowed indoors.'

• What characters are introduced? Describe each and give examples to support.

Bruno- the main character as the story is being set through his eyes and his childish mind.
"What are you doing?" Bruno asked in as polite a tone he could muster.'
Maria- The family maid who is introduced page 1 of the book. She is busily packing away Bruno's belongings in preparation for the move out of Berlin. She seems polite and shy.
'He was surprised to find maria, the family's maid- who always kept her head bowed and never looked up from the carpet.'
Mother- Bruno, and Gretel's mother. She seems to be very upset about the move to Berlin although she is persuading Bruno that it is a good idea I think that she is secretly comforting herself about it all.
'He looked at her without say anything for a moment and thought to himself that she couldn't have applied her make-up correctly that morning because the rims of her eyes were more red than usual, like his own after he been causing chaos and got into trouble and ended up crying.'
Gretel- Bruno's sister she is put across by Bruno as a 'Hopeless case'.
'He wasn't particularly bothered if Gretel was being sent away because she was a Hopeless Case and caused nothing but trouble for him.'
Karl, Daniel, Martin- Bruno's 'best three friends for life'.
'Say goodbye to Karl and Daniel and Martin? But they're my three best friends for life!'

• Who are presented as victims in this chapter and what are the victims of? Do you think that it is fair to consider them victims?

I think that the whole situation Bruno feels like he is the victim and because we are looking through his eyes we very much feel like he is the victim in this all. But I do not think that it is fair to call Bruno the victim in fact  if you look deeper, 'Mother' is in fact the victim as she is very uncomfortable with the whole situation judging by the 'Red rims' around her eyes that suggests she has been crying. At the end of the chapter she is also being yelled at by her husband and it seems to Bruno that she is losing the fight by a margin and is very upset about something, presumably the move.

• Irony is an important element of the story. How is it used here in the first chapter? Give examples to support your answer.

It is ironic how the mother who is the person of authority is the person who wants to go the least. It is ironic that she has been crying and Bruno hasn't and in the mean time she is telling Bruno that he must go and that it will be good but she is obviously not believing it either.
Another Ironic point is that we understand the situation a lot better than Bruno does, this is ironic as he is German and he is the main character. He is very unaware as a child.

• How is the setting presented in this chapter?

Auschwitz 65 Years Later.

Key Visual Techniques

There are some powerful visual techniques being used in this photo. Take 5 minutes to point out at least 5 aspects of the photo which stand out to you and how they relate to the great anguish that was experienced at this site (create a post on your blog with the photo - don't try to copy and paste photo it won't work).

• Consider the use of vectors, line, contrast, composition, colour, and perspective (there are more techniques)? You follow the barb wire to the end and it makes your eye follow across the wire. It looks like it is endless and never ends. But it leads your eyes to the watch tower which symbolizes security meaning you can't get out which shows the lack of freedom and the oppression of the Jewish people. It is the prison that represents murder, it is snowing there and this would obviously add to the pain these people are going thorough. The colour is very dull and boring which shows that there is nothing at all cheerful about this murder camp. The colours are mainly black, whites and the bricks are a dull red. The whole picture is extremely geometrical and I'm sure at a different angle it would be symmetrical. 
• How can the visual elements in the photo evoke empathy and reverence from a viewer? It shows the maximum security if the prison and that there is no escape for the Jewish people. This makes you feel empathy for the people as you and the people of the camp know that it is almost impossible to escape it and the hope and faith must be very low for these poor people. There is almost no colour in the shot and that shows that this camp is dull, horrible and fairly predictable. It makes the viewer know that there is nothing good about this camp.
• How is Auschwitz represented in this photo? In looks very dreary, horrible, cold and highly protected. This makes the viewer, although not actually being there, feel a sense of restriction and empathy for the people living and dying in this camp so many years ago. The fence and watch tower forces me to abandon hope for the Jews. After going through all of these emotions I then realize that this shot anger's me. I find this strange, I think it is because it makes me feel worthless and makes me want to do something about it although I probably would have made no difference and World War 2 ended a long time ago.
• Find another photo of Auschwitz that you feel has an important representation of this place that caused so much pain and destruction. Analyse the use of visual techniques which make it particularly engaging. How does it represent this location? 

          

This shot again makes me lose hope for these people and it is very obvious that these people are in a    concentration camp as the beds are not exactly proper beds and they are obviously the beds that were used in the concentration camp. The people are also wearing the infamous striped pajamas's that the Jews were known to be forced to wear by the Nazi's in the death camps. The picture is in black and white so it gives you a little depth into the age of the shot. They all look extremely miserable except for a few, who are for whatever reason smiling I can only guess that these minor percentage of individuals have not abandoned hope.